Assisted Failure
by A Wordsmith
Summary: Bri Juffer is a new, still wet-behind-the-ear trainer in the land of Johto. All she wants is to have a few adventures. But there's one problem - she really doesn't know what she's supposed to do. Or how to do it. And that's before she starts to run into problems with poachers, and might have accidentally pledged to defeat ever poacher she comes across. Oops.
1. Stantler Poachers!

Bri Juffer did not walk.

No, she bounced.

She leaped over every inch of Route 38, face stretched in a grin and endless energy bubbling up in her veins. Grabbing leaves and tossing them around, darting to the trees to grab flowers growing by their trunks.

There she was, at the ripe old age of 10 years and four days.

More specifically, on her first day of her pokemon journey!

Just earlier that day, she had run down to the Professor's lab! Oh, how her mom had been all worried and threw in a bit more money to buy food and boring stuff like that, but that wasn't the important part.

She had a pokemon!

Waking up and eating had taken her about four minutes flat before she was sprinting to the lab to pick. Mom had kind of trotted behind her with a half-asleep look on her face and coffee in her hand, but by the time they arrived she had perked up.

The Professor had given a little speech, but then he had taken her to _the table_.

She had been dreaming about _the table_ for years now, had drawn it so many times that she could probably do it with her eyes closed. Her mom had even taken her in one day to watch how the Professor did everything, and she had seen _the table_ in person.

It had been exactly like she had dreamed about. Three pokeballs on the top with little elemental stickers neatly on top. One fire, one water, one grass.

But there was only one problem.

Cyndaquil - the pokemon she had finally decided to get only about a month ago - was already gone, picked up by someone that had gotten it yesterday, apparently.

But no matter!

Because the second she had tossed out the water pokeball, there had been an awesome totodile that had snapped his jaws at her and then purred into her hand when she offered him a berry.

And now he was hers!

She patted the pokeball on her waist. Totodile was absolutely amazing and no one could take him. He had tried to waddle next to her, but he was a little too slow and got a bit tired. So he wanted to go back in his pokeball.

But that was okay. Totodile was awesome! He only knew two moves right now - Scratch and Leer. Nothing elemental yet, and only one attack.

But she would teach him and then the pair of them would take the world by storm!

The Professor had also given her some other supplies. Five pokeballs that she attached to her pokebelt alongside Totodile's. They were awesome, and she couldn't wait to capture more pokemon!

Also, a pokedex. That was interesting. She had already scanned Totodile.

 **Totodile: the Big Jaw pokemon. Their jaws are enormous and are very strong, and so even when they are being playful it can still hurt very much! Trainers, make sure to teach your totodile not to use its teeth on any part of your body.**

Totodile would bite his way to victory, and they'd cream every other pokemon in their path!

But that was also a problem. So far, she hadn't seen any other pokemon. Which was bad, as she wanted at least another pokemon to attack the gym in her city. And any chance to train Totodile was perfect! He only had one attack move, Scratch - and that move wouldn't work on the ghost-types of Ecruteak City. She really wanted that Fog Badge!

But not a weedle or a pidgey or a caterpie. Nothing.

And her watch said that it was nearly 1 pm.

"Aw, shucks," she grumbled, popping Totodile's pokeball off of her belt. It came easily and swelled to full size as soon as she pressed the button.

She lobbed it forward, and the second it hit the ground it split open. White mist spilled out and then there he was. Only about up to her knees, but covered in strong blue scales with a tiny tail and big claws.

"Totodile!" She squeaked, dropping to her knees and grabbing the empty pokeball. He looked up at her with sleepy red eyes, blinking. Yawning, he showed off his rows of dagger-like teeth.

"Dile?" He murmured.

"Okay. Totodile, it's lunchtime-" he instantly perked up, looking excited "-but then we're going to find you a pokemon, okay? Someone to fight! You want to learn Water Gun, right?"

He nodded happily, before opening his mouth, snapping his jaws.

She laughed. "Fine, you big lump!' Shrugging off her bag, she opened it up. Digging past the several sets of clothes, she finally found a plump sack. She pulled it out.

Totodile started to wave his tail.

"Here you go!" She scattered a handful of the light brown pellets inside on the ground. With one chomp of his jaws, he had gotten nearly half of them. In another few seconds, they were gone. He looked up at her with sad, sad eyes.

She tutted. "No, Mom said only one handful for lunch!" He still looked up at her, red eyes glimmering.

Bri crumbled. "Okay, fine." He perked up, but she raised a hand. "But only if we find a pokemon that can defeat! You need to get really strong!"

He turned his nose up and sniffed along the ground for more pellets. She laughed.

Then she paused. "Do you hear that?"

Totodile shook his head.

But there was something, though it was that loud. The low hum of voices not far off to the left. What pokemon could it be?

She hurriedly pulled her bag closed and shoved it back on, Totodile blinking up at her. Taking a single step forward, she stopped. They weren't supposed to go off of the path…

But how else would they find a pokemon? "Come on, Totodile! Adventure awaits!"

"Toto!" He agreed, waddling after her.

They only went a few feet before she dropped low to the ground. "Stay down. We can't them it see us," she whispered to him. Totodile nodded and bent over.

Crouching behind a bush, she peered around to see what was in the clearing.

Oh gosh.

How did she get herself into this mess?

Bri crouched lower into the brush, bristles clawing up and down her arms. Her feet were curled underneath her thighs, hands pressed against the ground. There were trees towering all around, hiding her even more.

But that didn't hide the three people in the clearing in front of her.

They were wearing some grey clothing: hoodies and sweatpants. No symbols or anything on them, and they all were wearing large hoods that cast shadows over their faces. She couldn't see what they looked like. One girl, two boys, each one holding several pokeballs.

"Don't let 'em get away!" One barked, snapping his fingers and taking a few threatening step forward.

A pidgeot shrieked from on the ground next to him, brown feathers glinting gold in the light. It shuffled forward and snapped at empty air, talons the size of Bri's head gripping a fallen tree.

The stantler next to it bucked furiously.

There were ten of them, with silky brown pelts and gleaming white antlers. But they didn't seem to be here of their own free will. They were corralled together in the tiny clearing by pokemon.

A houndoom, charmeleon, raticate, nidoking, and even more. Each growled and clawed the air as a stantler got too near. All of them were huge and powerful and strong. Nothing like Totodile.

The stantlers themselves were wild and terrified, bucking and tossing their enormous antlers. Each was tensed for a fight, and others were fighting. One roared a challenge and tried a Take Down on the pidgeot. It barely reacted other than flying up a few feet to miss it. The other pokemon just moved out of the way or just let it wash over them with only a little damage.

"Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh-" Bri tried to wiggle backward but Totodile hissed out a little "Toto!" and she stayed.

They were going to save a bunch of stantlers. From poachers. With tons of really strong pokemon.

Oh my gosh what was she _doing_ -

"Okay!" The girl thundered, holding up two pokeballs. "Get ready - FIRE!"

They all launched their pokeballs into the midst of stantlers, and just like that, they started to disappear. Pokeballs thumped against antlers and bodies and hooves until there were ten pokeballs on the ground, quivering lightly.

Four stantlers immediately burst out again, but new pokeballs were thrown and they disappeared again.

Until all but one had been caught.

The one stantler bellowed its name, low and furious. It bucked, wildly kicking away the pokeball that sailed toward it. It charged for the charmeleon, antlers lowered and deadly.

"Geez! Ember!' One man barked, and the charmeleon immediately responded, spitting out a wave of tiny coals. They peppered the stantler's side, forcing it to turn. But it didn't flinch with pain, turning to run toward the center of the clearing.

The woman yelped and finished grabbing the rest of the pokeballs before sprinting away. She dumped them on the ground and turned back around.

"You idiot! We can't hurt those antlers - that's the only reason we're capturing these guys!"

"I know, I know," the man grumbled. "But it's not allowed to hurt my charmeleon."

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose and scowled. "Okay. So, keep throwing pokeballs at it. Eventually, it'll get tired and get captured."

"Sure thing." He mock saluted her and picked up another ball.

Bri sucked in a deep breath, ignoring the furious poking Totodile was attacking her with. The pokeballs full of the captured stantlers were only a few feet in front of her.

"Totodile." He instantly turned to her. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

And then she slowly pushed the branches out of her way. Creeping forward, still under the cover of the leaves. She didn't even dare to breathe.

A stick appeared under her foot. She froze, carefully shuffling away from it. Leaches rustled above her head.

But the stantler was nearly beat, panting heavily and trying to pat away another round of pokeballs. It couldn't last much longer.

Speeding forward the last few steps, she was there. Quickly, she shot her arms forward and grabbed the stantlers.

But it was too late.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" Someone barked.

And with a yelp she spun around, arms full of stolen stantler pokeballs, to face the army of pokemon controlled by some very angry poachers.

At least until the stantler bodychecked the woman out of the way.

Bri gaped.

It kicked one man and headbutted the other. Their pokemon growled but the stantler paid them no heed, turning to face Bri.

It started to charge.

Oh, she was so dead.

* * *

 **Hey, guys! Frost here!**

 **I've wanted to write a Pokemon fanfiction for a really long time, but my SYOC idea kinda flopped. Apparently, I can only do Maximum Ride ones of those. Oops.**

 **But hey! Here's Bri Juffer with Totodile and a charging stantler! That couldn't go wrong at all, could it?**

 **I hoped you guys like this, and there should be more to come. I've got a lot planned out, but I want to ask you guys something.**

 **I need a rival!**

 **They need to be pretty strong but have started only a day before Bri. Maybe they could have been the one to take the cyndaquil - that would be sad.**

 **But yeah. Just a neat lil' rival who she could battle with every like five-ten chapters! Just to test each other! Make sure to give them Johto pokemon, though! Male or female, it doesn't matter to me. Just make sure to add what pokemon they have, and I could choose what pokemon they will catch or you can. Your choice in this matter! I just really do need a personality, please!**

 **I also might want a traveling companion, though maybe not. It's up to you!**

 **Anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	2. Pokebattle!

"Crap!" Bri yelped, turning and diving out of the way.

The stantler charged past, antlers lowered. It bellowed its name furiously, hooves digging up clumps of dirt.

Bri turned around, breath clogging her throat. The stantler was angry and charging and attacking her.

There was some form of dark mist around its mouth, gleaming and flashing in the low sunlight. She didn't like the look of it. The stantler turned to face her, tensing its body to charge again.

But then, with a muffled roar, Totodile dove out of the underbrush and landed in between them. He stretched out his arms, snapping his enormous jaws sharply.

The stantler slowed and stopped only inches from the little crocodile, snorting furiously. It reared back, hooves pumping the air. Totodile stood firm.

But then the stantler made eye contact with her pokemon, and Totodile winced. His claws and fangs flashed once, and Bri stiffened. His attack had just been lowered. But only an Ability could do that so fast!

The stantler snorted its name again, stretching its head forward. And then there was that dark energy around its mouth again, spilling like water around its teeth. Surging forward, the stantler lunged for Totodile's arm.

"Dodge it dodge it dodge it!" Bri squeaked, leaping behind Totodile.

He dropped to the ground, lying flat. The stantler's teeth snapped shut an inch over his head.

Wait.

Was that Bite?

Bri blinked. This was a pokemon battle. Her first pokemon battle. Totodile's first pokemon battle. But it was with a clearly dangerous pokemon that looked ready to kill.

"Totodile! Leer!" The crocodile nodded determinedly and faced the stantler, which was prancing backward slowly, antlers lowered.

Totodile hissed and snapped his face into a ferocious snarl, and the stantler flinched away from it. It shook its head, still furious, but Bri grinned. She had done something right.

"Its defense should be lowered! Go for Tackle!" She barked, and Totodile nodded determinedly.

He braced his back legs and charged forward, moving at a much faster pace than his normal waddle. Lowering his head, he slammed into the stantler's leg.

The pokemon rocked backward, but it didn't even lose its balance. Totodile stumbled back, eyes rolling. The stantler shot back toward him and closed black-drenched teeth around his snout.

The crocodile squeaked with pain, falling back.

"No! Totodile! Try another Tackle, please!" Bri begged, nearly leaping forward.

But the stantler wasn't done yet. As soon as it had finished Bite, it leaped backward and began to creep forward on silent hooves. Totodile slowly pushed himself up, touching the slightly bleeding tip of his snout.

At least until the stantler slammed his face into Totodile's.

Bri frowned even as she called for Totodile. That was Astonish, a ghost-type move! Even her pokemon, a starter, didn't know any elemental moves yet!

But Totodile, bleeding and bruised as he was, didn't give up. He braced his legs and charged forward again, moving a bit too fast for the stantler to dodge. Slamming into the closest leg finally made the other pokemon fall on its side.

"Totodile! Behind that tree! Run!" Bri yelled, fingers cutting marks into her palms.

He reacted just in time, diving behind the fallen trunk just as the stantler snapped a Bite over his tail. Bri squeaked, and finally reacted. She dropped the stolen pokeballs from her hand, letting them fall to the ground. Her hands scrabbled at her waist until they landed on a shrunken pokeball. Grabbing it as fast as she could, she wrenched it off and pushed the button that made it swell in size.

The stantler barely had time to turn around before the pokeball slammed into its back. And, in a swirl of white-red mist, it disappeared.

The pokeball immediately started to shake, but Bri lunged forward and wrapped her hands around the ball, holding it against the ground. It gave one last twitch before falling flat with a _click_.

But Bri didn't spend any time celebrating yet. "Totodile!"

She jumped over the log and found her baby little pokemon on the ground, eyes closed. The bite mark on his nose still bled sluggishly, and a giant bruise from the Astonish was already forming on his forehead. He must have passed out right after he jumped the log.

"Oh, Totodile…" she unclicked his pokeball and pressed the button. He disappeared in a puff of mist, and the pokeball clicked close.

But then she looked up and saw the fallen form of the poacher lying on the ground. With a very concerned looking pigeot leaning over her face.

Bri squeaked and leaped over the log. Without thinking, she shrunk Totodile's pokeball and clicked in onto her waist. But she paused when she looked at the stantler's pokeball.

Technically, she had captured him, hadn't she?

It wasn't the time to think about that, though, and she just attached it to her waist, next to Totodile.

Bending down, she scooped up the rest of the stantler pokeballs. There were around ten, much too many to carry in her arms. She slipped her bag off and dumped them inside.

The woman behind her made a muffled moan.

She took off into the forest.

There wasn't far of a journey from here to Ecruteak City, and it was only made faster by the fact she was running and adrenaline was coursing through her veins. She eventually stopped her sprint, but in under an hour, she had made it back to the city.

But she didn't have time to look up at the cheery welcome sign or head to her house. She booked it toward the Pokecenter she knew was only right around the corner.

The Nurse Joy looked up warmly as she busted the door open, a smile on her lips. "Hello! Welcome to the Pokecenter! What can I help you with?"

"Poachers!" Bri nearly shrieked, running forward and pulling off her bag at the same time.

Nurse Joy blinked. "What do you-"

"There are some poachers in the forest! They had a bunch of stantlers!"

The pink-haired lady immediately sprung to attention. "Where are they? If I can contact Officer Jenny fast enough, do you think that we could still save them?"

Bri gasped, a stitch working its way up her side. "No need. I- I managed to get them." And then she dumped the pokeballs across the counter. They spilled around, but Nurse Joy's fast hands quickly stopped them.

She just stared at them before carefully picking one up. Examining it from all sides, she quickly picked up the rest of them.

A pink pokemon nearly chest-high with a large oval on its chest came up, chirping "Chansey?" rather questioningly. Nurse Joy snapped her fingers, looking over at her pokemon. It nodded and headed back through the door it came in.

Nurse Joy shook her head. "Okay. I'll heal them all up, and call Officer Jenny immediately. Are you okay with telling the story?"

Bri nodded before she jerked to attention. "Wait!" The lady turned back around from where she had turned. She popped two pokeballs off of her waist. "My Totodile is really hurt! And this stantler-" she stopped.

"Well, I did capture this stantler after saving the rest of them. I even battled it and everything. Do you think I could-"

Nurse Joy leveled her a strong look. "Let me heal it, but I hardly think that that is the thing to be worried about right now!"

Bri hunched over and slowly placed both pokeballs on the counter. Nurse Joy scooped them up as well and disappeared into the back of the pokecenter, only to emerge a minute later. "Officer Jenny should be here any minute with a team. Please tell her _everything_ that happened."

She nodded, but the nurse was already gone.

Bri shuffled over to one of the pale blue couches in the corner of the room, collapsing down onto the closest one. Her nails found their way into her teeth and she bit down hard on them.

What if Totodile wouldn't be okay? And what about the stantler? What would she do?

But there wasn't nearly enough time to worry because the doors were slammed open and a blue-haired woman charged in.

They immediately made eye-contact, and the woman ran over to her. "Where did you find the poachers?" She asked, her voice kind despite the loud volume.

"I was walking on Route 38 for like an hour and they were in the forest to the left-"

And then Officer Jenny turned back around and ran outside again, shouting furious orders that she couldn't hear.

Bri bit her lip and clenched her hands. Could they catch them in time? She sat on the couch, curling her knees up to her chest.

A few minutes later, the doors to the Pokecenter opened again, and Officer Jenny walked through. She came right to the couch and sat down across from Bri.

She smiled warmly, leaning forward. "Okay. Please tell me everything about what happened."

"Bri?"

She looked up. Nurse Joy was waving to her from behind the counter, a smile on her face. Bri jerked to attention and ran toward her.

"How is Totodile? Is he okay?" She babbled, nearly leaning half-way over the counter. Her fingers gripped the edge tight enough to turn her knuckles white.

Nurse Joy laughed and took a step backward. "Your totodile is fine, don't you worry. He's resting right now in his pokeball, which is here." And she gently handed Bri her pokeball back.

"Yes!" She cradled it to her chest, before looking around. She wasn't going to release him her. Quickly attaching it to her waist, she patted it once. Turning back to Nurse Joy, her mouth shot out several more questions.

"What about the rest of the stantlers? Are they hurt?"

Nurse Joy shook her head. "All of them were a bit scared, but Officer Jenny is taking them out to release into the forest again. We'll be keeping an eye on them, but in a couple of days they should be completely okay.' She smiled at Bri. "Thanks to you."

"Did she get the poachers?"

There was a frown. "Yes - most of them. She found the two men and their pokemon, but couldn't find the pidgeot and the woman you described. They must have escaped. But I have another thing for you."

And with that, she handed another pokeball over to Bri, who took it with a triumphant expression on her face.

But Nurse Joy held up a finger before she could react. "He's a very wild pokemon who doesn't seem to cooperate very well. The second he hurts anyone or gets out of control, you take him to a Pokecenter and one of us will take him, you understand? He's not very strong right now, but he seems to just be angry all of the time, and that could pose a problem. Do you get it?"

Bri nodded, face lit up like a beacon. But then she frowned. "Not very strong? But he won against Totodile and beat those poachers!"

The nurse nodded. "And your totodile is a starter who isn't that strong, and pokemon are most likely always more powerful than humans."

"Okay." Bri nodded, staring at the pokeball. Her eyes were gleaming like stars.

Nurse Joy sighed. "Okay. Both of them are healed and should be fine, though your totodile might have a bit of a sore on his snout. It should heal up completely within a day, though."

"Thank you!" Bri squeaked, holding tightly onto Stantler's pokeball. And then she turned and sprinted out of the Pokecenter.

She had another pokemon!

* * *

 **Hey-o guys! Another chapter so fast! Good job me.**

 **So now Bri still has Totodile, but she also has a new friend - Stantler!**

 **I tried to get the fact that a new starter is** _ **not**_ **going to be able to take on a wild pokemon and win perfectly. Totodile passed out and Stantler was already injured by the poachers.**

 **But she did catch him! I'm trying to let her catch lesser-used pokemon, and I think a stantler is perfect for that. She'll meet him face to face next chapter with a… not-so-perfect anime meeting. I mean, if you were a pokemon who had just been taken by a small child, you wouldn't immediately snuggle up to it, would you? Starters are different because that's literately all they've ever been raised to do.**

 **I have a couple of things to ask. I still need a rival and a possible traveling companion. Please submit me on! Please please!**

 **Also, do you guys want me to put down Bri's pokemon and their moves at the bottom? I could, but I want to leave it up to you.**

 **But anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	3. A Deal Made

Bri paused about three steps down Route 38.

She patted her two pokeballs that were shrunken and attached securely to her waist. Totodile and Stantler. Two pokemon, one even a normal-type. Was that enough to win at the Gym?

Turning around, she bit her lip. The edge of the gym, painted a rather light grey-blue, could be seen over the top of the Pokecenter. Would she be able to get the Fog badge?

But then she stopped and looked down at Stantler's ball. She didn't even know his moves and he probably hated her. There wasn't a very high chance he would do anything she asked him to, and there was no ways he could win a battle like that.

And Totodile only had two moves, and his only attack wouldn't even hurt a ghost-type. There was no way she would win unless she trained her pokemon hard. And that could take a lot of time she didn't really want to spend just sitting around Ecruteak City and not catching more pokemon.

So she wasn't challenging the gym yet. That was fine; she could always catch it when she came back from the Safari Zone. And by that point, her pokemon would be so strong she would get the Fog Badge lightning fast. It was perfect!

She had her pokemon and a plan. Nothing could stop her. And so, with determination in her eyes, Bri walked down Route 38.

It was a bright forest, though the path was open to the sky. The leaves were bright with the end of spring and the ground was covered in beds of plants. Stantler would be able to eat his full all the way down this Route.

But even as she walked, the silence was strong and pressing, and it only took her around ten minutes to give in. Pulling out Totodile's pokeball, she tossed it to the ground. It bounced once and then red and white mist swirled out before forming her favorite blue crocodile.

"Totodile!" He squeaked, running up to her. Bri dropped to her knees and hugged him tightly, before pulling back and looking at his nose. There wasn't anything there anymore, and the bruise was gone, too. Nurse Joy was awesome!

"Buddy, I have a plan. You're going to walk with me to get stronger, okay? If you get too tired, I'll pick you up. But you have to get strong, right?"

Totodile nodded, smiling up at her with his enormous teeth. She grinned back and started walking again, stooping to pick up his pokeball, snapping it back onto her waist.

They walked and walked. Pidgeys darted across their path and rattatas squeaked from on top of tree branches. Bri didn't stop to attack them yet. Totodile was working so hard to keep walking, waddling much faster than he had been earlier. She didn't want to stop him yet.

But then the sun gleamed brightly as it disappeared behind the cover of trees, and Bri quickly checked her watch. Nearly four o'clock! Had they been walking for over two hours?

"Totodile! You can stop now." The little pokemon instantly stopped moving and face planted on the ground.

Bri squeaked and ran to him. He was fine but breathing hard. The walk really took a lot out of him.

"You starters don't get a lot of exercise, do you?" Totodile shook his head. "Well, fine. I have something for you - Mom said it would help."

She shrugged off her bag and started to dig through it. At the bottom, there were two medium jars with sealed lids and labels. After a moment's hesitation, she dug out one.

"Yes! Leppa berries!"

Totodile tilted his head to one side, slowly pushing up into a sitting position. He yawned slightly.

Bri pried the lid off and grabbed one of the five berries. She held it in front of his eyes. "These will help you when you're tired! I also have some Oran berries that help you when you're hurt, but not that many. Apparently, you can find them nearly anywhere in forests! So we can always stock up when we need more."

Totodile dutifully opened his mouth, and she popped the red and yellow berry on his tongue. Swallowing, he blinked several times before slowly pushing himself up to his feet. "Toto!" He chirped.

Bri laughed. "Sweet! They work!"

And then she paused and looked around. They were stopped here. Now was as good of a time as any.

Stantler's pokeball was plucked off of her waist and held tightly in one hand. She toyed with it, pressing the button to pull it back to full size.

What would happen?

She paused and quickly snapped it back on her waist. "Okay, buddy. So what I've got here is Stantler." Totodile hissed at the pokeball she was holding up, fangs flashing. His exhaustion melted away as he braced himself for a Tackle attack.

Bri yelped "No, don't be like that! He's our new friend, okay? So be nice." Totodile hissed but relaxed slightly.

And with that, she gently released Stantler a few feet away from her.

The mist gathered together and formed the enormous deer pokemon. The second he was out, Stantler reared.

He glared around the clearing, making eye contact with her. Bri tensed.

And then he turned on his heel and darted away.

"What- no! Stantler!" She hurriedly lunged forward and grabbed the fallen pokeball, pressing the button. The galloping form of the pokemon disappeared.

"Oh boy." She sighed, eyeing the pokeball in her hand. Nurse Joy was right.

She looked at her actually nice pokemon. "Totodile, can you Tackle him if he tries to run? I need to talk to him."

"Dile!" He said confidently, getting back into position. Oh, she really needed to teach him Water Gun.

"Okay." And then she tossed the pokeball down again.

Stantler dodged Totodile's Tackle by jumping over his head and bolting. She pressed the button, recalling him again.

"How do you suggest I make him listen? I'm not letting Nurse Joy take this pokemon!" Bri asked helplessly.

Totodile paused and then pointed to his mouth. He mimed swallowing.

"Food?"

He nodded. Bri shrugged. "It's a better plan than I've got!"

And so, pushing back Totodile with one foot, she scattered a handful of pellets on the ground and threw Stantler's pokeball right in the middle.

He turned on a dime, ready to run, before freezing. And then she lowered his head and started to munch away.

Bri brightened. "Okay. Stantler. We need to talk."

He ignored her, but he also didn't run away. She would take the small victory.

"I saved you from being taken by poachers and then being taken by Nurse Joy, okay? So let's make a deal. I will feed you an extra handful every time you work with me."

Stantler's ears perked up even as he continued eating.

Bri kept talking. "So, you can graze whenever you want, of course, and will get my food once a day, because that's healthy. But every time you battle for me, or train with me, you get a little more food. Can we do this? Please?"

Stantler scooped up the last pellet before slowing rising to his full height. He was nearly as tall as she was, making nearly perfect eye contact.

And then, carefully, he nodded.

"Yes!" Bri squealed, darting forward to wrap her arms around his neck. He bucked and pulled away, mouth dripping black mist.

She shrank backward. "Okay. No hugs."

Digging into the pokefood bag in her hand, she grabbed another bunch. "I'll give you this if you let me scan you."

Stantler nodded, and she gave him the food.

While he was munching, she grabbed her pokedex from its hook on her belt. Opening up the main screen, she pointed the top toward Stantler and turned it on. There was a soft beeping, and she hit Full Scan.

A second late, the pokedex clicked and words appeared on the screen.

 **Stantler, the Big Horn Pokemon. Stantlers have enormous heads of antlers that grow throughout their entire life and are as strong as steel. They can create illusions with their antlers that can last anywhere from one to fifteen minutes, though they break apart with physical contact. Their antlers are so greatly prized that they were nearly hunted to extinction by poachers, and are still very rare today.**

 **This stantler is male and knows the following moves:**

 **\- Me First**

 **\- Tackle**

 **\- Leer**

 **\- Astonish**

 **It also knows the Egg Move(s):**

 **\- Bite**

"You're pretty strong," Bri noted, eyes wide. "I don't know what Nurse Joy was talking about! You have five whole moves!"

Stantler visibly preened as he finished up the last of his food.

Something pushed against the bottom of her leg, and she looked down to see Totodile, his eyes bright and shining with sadness. She almost could have sworn that he had a tear glimmering in one corner.

She caved in quickly. "Fine, I'll find you something sweet to eat. And I'll teach you Water Gun, okay?"

Totodile chirped his name happily, nodding.

Bri turned back to Stantler. "We're going to keep walking until we can find some water. Do you want to go back in your pokeball?"

Stantler snorted and shook his head. "Ler!"

She nodded, shrinking and clipping his back on her belt. "Sure. Make sure to eat sleep grass, though. It's really good for you."

The look he sent her could only be described with the word seriously?

Totodile snapped his jaws together, the red spines on his back bristling. He walked over the opposite side of the path from Stantler, glaring at him.

Bri sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Stantler was resolutely ignoring both of them, munching on some grass. Totodile was being whiny.

But no matter, because they were going to walk another hour or so. And then she would train them both, especially Totodile if she could find some running water. She loved her pokemon, yes, but her water bottle was for her to drink.

And with that, she started walking down the path.

Totodile immediately started to trot after her, chest puffed out.

Stantler continued munching on his grass, not looking up. Bri tensed.

But eventually he slowly walked after her, head hanging and bored.

They walked for around forty minutes before she heard the faint trickle of water.

"Yes!" She crowed, turning and speeding right. Only a few steps away from the path, there was a thin creek with water moving slowly. "Perfect."

Totodile walked up behind her, breath coming out in little bursts. As soon as his eyes landed on the stream, they glowed.

Bri moves back just in time to avoid Totodile lunging forward and diving into the water. He squealed happily and rolled around in it, splashing it over his scales and head.

Stantler perked up too, heading a bit downstream to drink slowly from a bend in the creek.

Bri waited until Totodile had calmed down, at least slightly.

"Buddy!" He snapped back to attention, staring at her.

* * *

 **She grinned, kneeling down to look him in the eyes. "You ready to learn your first water move?"**

 **Hello again, guys! The third chapter in three days!**

 **I'm spoiling you. Ah well. You guys deserve it!**

 **But now Bri and Stantler have come to an agreement, and what better way to win the heart of an angry pokemon than with food?**

 **Yeah. Totodile's a bit angry with Stantler, you know** , **after the pokemon knocked him out. Understandable. But he's also ready to learn his first water move, and let me explain.**

 **This isn't like the games, or really the anime. Moves are taught by teaching. So like, to learn Quick Attack, pokemon** **would have to work on running really, really fast and then combine that with Tackle. So yeah. It isn't 'hey! Look at that! My brand new Charmander just learned Dragon Rage'**

 **So yeah. Anyway. Please send me a rival! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE**

 **But anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	4. Training Problems

Totodile hadn't looked more excited in a long while. He clambered out of the water, shaking his tail furiously to get the last few water droplets off.

Bri knelt down in front of him, hands cupped. "Okay. Drink up some water, bud!"

He nodded happily, laying on the stream bed and dipping his snout into the water. He didn't move, letting the water flow into his mouth.

"But don't swallow it, okay? Stand up."

Totodile tilted his head but did as she asked, standing back up with water sloshing inside of his mouth.

Bri frowned and tried to remember what her mom had taught her. "So, you have the power to summon water inside of you and spit it out to make Water Gun. But first I have to teach you how to handle water? Or something like that."

She pointed to a tree, Totodile's bright red eyes following her hand. "Can you spit the water at that tree?"

He perked up, waddling a bit closer to the tree. Pausing, his mouth moving slightly, a light pattering of water hit the bark.

"Yes!" Bri crowed, raising a hand in victory. Totodile squeaked at her, happy. He touched the bark of the tree, feeling the water on it.

She quickly ran to the stream again, excitement coursing through her. Totodile was going to learn Water Gun! "You weren't very far from the tree. I think we have to work on you using more force before we try to summon water, okay?"

Totodile nodded, kneeling by the water again. He scooped up a mouthful, standing up.

It hit the tree again, water trickling down the bark.

Bri clapped loudly, rubbing her hands together. "Can you try standing over here and hitting it?"

Totodile nodded, getting more water in his mouth and waddling over to where she was pointing. He had been around two feet from the tree at first, but this was nearly four.

He spat the water, but it fell to the ground a foot away from the tree.

Totodile wilted.

Bri shuffled over and stroked the top of his head, avoiding the sharp red spines. "It's fine, buddy. That was only your third try, and this is a whole new move! You'll get it in no time. Try again."

He nodded, drinking more water. This time, the water still didn't hit the tree, but he had fired a lot more of it in one go, and she could hear it hit the ground. He was getting stronger.

"Look at that! You did it a lot harder, Totodile! WHy not you try tilting your head back a bit. That might help you hit the tree, okay?"

He nodded, shifting his head all around even as he slurped up more. Bri giggled.

"I'm going to go talk to Stantler, okay?" Immediately, the little crocodile hissed lightly, water spilling from his mouth. "Oh, don't be like that. He's our friend now."

ANd with that, she walked toward the large deer pokemon.

He was still grazing, only a few feet from the path. His posture was relaxed.

"Stantler? Can we talk?"

There was no response, but he didn't run away.

"There are two things we can do for your training. Either make one of your moves even stronger or teach you a new one. Can we test your old moves first?"

He didn't move, and Bri sighed. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed another handful of pokefood.

As soon as Stantler finished eating them, he perked up and stared at her.

"You're going to get fat," she accused. He didn't even blink.

She thumbed the edge of her pokedex, thinking. "We can't really test Me First without you battling Totodile. And I don't really want that to happen yet. There's Leer, Tackle and - oh yeah! Bite!"

Bri hunted on the ground for a few seconds before finding a branch that was about as thick as two of her fingers. "Can you use Bite on this?"

Immediately, black mist dripped from Stantler's teeth and he lunged for her.

She could only stare as he bit the stick all the way through, ends splintering.

Bri blinked as the stick fell apart. She glanced up at Stantler. "Is that your strongest move?"

He nodded slowly, the mist still curling around his muzzle.

"Okay. Totally not scary at all. What about Astonish, though? Can you try that on this tree-" But he was moving before she could even finish her sentence. He charged behind her.

She squeaked and turned just in time for him to run at Totodile. "Totodile! Dodge it!"

Totodile turned, eyes wide, and spat the water in his mouth at the charging Stantler.

It hit the pokemon and actually stopped his movement, pressing him backward.

Bri cheered. "Yes! Totodile! It works!" She ran at him, scooping him up in her arms and lifting it into the air. He raised his hands in victory, crowing his name.

With a form of smug superiority she had never seen in him, he spat the leftover water onto Stantler's retreating back.

"And you!" She raged, setting Totodile back down to practice and whirling on Stantler. "No attacking anyone here, you understand? Or I will march right back to the Pokecenter and turn you into to Nurse Joy!"

He looked almost meek as he trotted back to their practice place.

"Okay," she groaned as she pulled out her pokedex. "So no more Astonish for you, buddy. That leaves us with teaching you a new move or working on your Tackle."

Stantler hissed as he heard the name of the attack. Bri glanced up, eyes wide. "No Tackle either. Gotcha."

Scrolling fast the moves Stantler could learn, she read out the first couple of ones to him. "There's Stomp, a normal-type move where you attack-"

Stantler hissed again.

"You don't like that one either? But I didn't even tell you what it did!" She said incredulously.

He shook his head again, baring his teeth.

She sighed, trying to think back. Something connected. "Do you not like normal-type moves?"

Stantler nodded slowly. She glared at him. "You are a normal-type pokemon! That's not giving me a lot of options!"

Quickly, she scrolled through the pokedex. "That leaves me… only two more attacks I can teach you! Everything else just lowers attack or defense or-"

She sighed, still flicking through. "Stantler? If you really only want to learn elemental moves, I can do that for you. Don't worry. But if you also want to learn a ton of attacks, then I'm going to have to buy TMs. And they cost a lot of money I don't have. The only way I can earn more money right now without getting a job is by battling."

He tossed his head, squaring his feet. Black mist dripped from his mouth again.

Bri blinked. "You're willing to fight for me?"

Stantler nodded, determinedly, barking his name. "Stantler!"

A plan formed in her mind. "Okay. So most TMs cost around 500 pokecoins at Pokemarts. I only have around 300 pokecoins right now, and your guys' pokefood cost around 100 a bag every week. But if we battle every trainer we come across and _win_ -"

Bri clicked another button on her pokedex and started to read quickly. "If you and Totodile win us another 300 pokecoins in around a week, then we could get you an elemental attack." She looked over at him. "Do you want to pick now?"

He nodded.

She quickly scanned, wincing as she read some of them. "There are a lot of attacks, but there is one problem. I think you'd struggle a lot with a new element when you still aren't that powerful. But there is one dark-type move, which is the same as Bite. Shadow Ball. What do you think?"

Stantler grinned, black energy curling over his teeth.

Bri held up a finger. "And that's great, but in order for you to win all those battles, you have to train every attack you have. So you have a choice - either Tackle, Bite, or Astonish."

He blinked once, shaking his head. Then faint grey mist leached from around his head, curling around his antlers. Ghost-type energy.

She nodded. "Astonish, then. But if you hit Totodile, then I'm going to give the first ™ to him!"

"Toto! Toto totodile!"

The voice pulled her away from Stantler and she ran back toward Totodile. He was jumping up and down and waving his arms, eyes gleaming like the sun.

"What'd you do?" She asked, kneeling next to him.

In response, Totodile drank a little more water and jumped over the edge of the stream. He was a good six feet from the tree now, and he readied his feet and spat.

It thudded against the tree, strong enough she saw a single leaf fall from a branch.

"Totodile! You did it!" Bri cheered, picking him up and tossing him lightly into the air.

"Dile dile!" He exclaimed, thrashing his tail.

"But Totodile. It's nearly 6 o'clock, so we have another two to three hours before we should head to bed. Do you want to keep working on it?" She asked, carefully setting him down.

He nodded. "Toto!"

Bri grinned. "Okay. Then what you're going to do next is learn how to summon the water. So I want you to drink lots of water until you feel some sort of connection with it, apparently. And after that, you'll feel the water you can summon until you're able to do it!" She scratched the back of her neck, blushing. "Sorry about the bad description. I don't know how to describe it."

Totodile nodded once, snapping his jaws, before he laid down on the bank of the stream again, sticking his muzzle in. She saw his pink tongue licking the water almost like a cat, his eyes closed in concentration.

Bri grinned. Her Stantler and the incredibly strong move Bite and was working on Astonish, with plans to get a TM! Totodile was becoming strong too, and the second he had mastered that, she was going to get Stantler to teach him Bite.

Tomorrow, she would start picking fights with wild pokemon to train up hers, and she knew that they would be awesome and win.

And as soon as they started meeting trainers, they would battle them. And win.

She knew it.

* * *

 **Hey guys! The fourth chapter in four days! Still being spoiled…**

 **But anyway, how did you guys like this? A chapter-long training session. The next couple of ones shouldn't be this long, but I wanted to get their personalities out a bit more and show what moves they're working on!**

 **Also, do you guys like my style of training? You have to teach them everything, even how to connect with their element. In Johto, starts don't start with an elemental move to avoid instant battles amongst new trainers. So they actually have to do what their name says!**

 **And Stantler doesn't like normal-type moves and Totodile is learning Water Gun! Aw, my little babies are growing up…**

 **But I think that the next chapter, we're going to have a trainer battle! So let me explain a few things.**

 **For battles, substitutes are allowed and rapid-fire changes are a battle strategy. Before the battle even begins, both players have to agree on an amount of money they are betting on and set it out to prove they have it. Also, Held Items and Abilities are a real thing, so I will be referencing them a lot.**

 **And, in case you didn't understand, when pokemon use an elemental move (normal is not an element) there's some form of colored energy around them. Just to clarify.**

 **I still need a rival and you can submit the first trainer Bri will battle against!**

 **Anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	5. First Battle!

Totodile, by 8 o'clock that night, was able to produce a few drops of water in his mouth. It wasn't nearly enough to use in Water Gun, as that required a steady stream of water that could be kept up for nearly an entire minute.

But Bri believed in him. Sure, starters learning their first elemental attack was one of the easiest lessons to teach, but he had done really, really well for their first night of training.

Stantler had - well, been Stantler. Only thirty minutes into the training session, he had stopped to graze a little more, then came back and did a little more working on the strength behind Astonish.

But now it was night, the sun hidden beyond the horizon and the moon not clearing the top of the trees yet. She had a sleeping bag, a lightweight one that didn't do much in the warm Johto heat. Stantler and Totodile were fed and she had moved off of the path and away from the water as to not be disturbed.

She still had her mom's notes on what to do at night.

"Stantler, ready to turn in?" He glanced up at her, brown eyes still fully aware. "I'll take that as a yes."

She clicked the button on his pokeball, and he disappeared in a puff of mist.

Totodile yawned cutely, arms stretching above his head. First, he had been chosen by her to go on an adventure. Then he had battled Stantler. And then he had trained!

He was a resilient starter, and she had never been more happy to have him.

"Come on, bud. Night."

"Toto," he agreed sleepily. With a click of a button, he was inside his pokeball and probably slumbering peacefully.

Bri kept them in her hands as she changed into lightweight pajamas and clambered into her sleeping bag.

And like a light, she was asleep.

The next morning dawned bright and early. Bri's pokedex chirped quietly with the alarm she had set up to wake her at 8 o'clock. Her mom had said that 12 hours of sleep was needed for the nearly entire days of walking.

It didn't feel like enough time.

She stretched mightily, sliding out of the sleeping bag ungracefully. Her pajamas were wrapped up and put back into her bag, and she put on her second pair of clothes. Just shorts and a t-shirt, nothing fancy.

And then she released her pokemon.

Stantler came out and stretched, pushing his antlers up to the sky. Turning his back on her, he wandered to the nearest pile of grass. She huffed.

Totodile squeaked happily and grabbed his pokeball, giving it back to her.

"Thanks, bud. Everyone ready to travel again?"

She slid her bag back on her back and started toward the path. The hope was that if she traveled fast enough, she could make it to the end of the rather short Route 38 and get onto Route 39, which was apparently much more full of trainers. Which was just what she needed.

The path was close enough and hey started walking, Stantler staying near the edges of the path and biting down a bit of grass every time he had the chance. She had scanned him again yesterday and found that he actually had amazing speed and stamina, though his strength was definitely lacking. Heck, Totodile was probably stronger than him.

But she wasn't thinking about that when she saw a bird flutter down onto the edge of the path.

Her eyes narrowed. Pidgey.

"Stantler. Totodile," she hissed, staying completely still. If she could only start this battle, then her pokemon could finally get some battle training in.

Totodile immediately caught when she was looking and grinned. He pointed to himself, wagging his tail.

"No, not yet little buddy. We want to get your Water Gun strong first. I don't want to make you battle with only one attack move, okay?"

He frowned but took a step back.

"Stantler." This time he turned to her, eyes ready. "Sneak up and use Bite."

She could have sworn that the deer pokemon smirked.

On much more silent hooves than she would have thought, he carefully walked to the opposite side of the path than where the pidgey was faced. It was shuffling around with its beak pointed into the grass, not a care in the world. Either too young to know about fights or too powerful to care.

Bri found herself a little nervous.

But then Stantler was looming over the pokemon, mouth dripping black mist. He waited just a second before lunging down and closing his teeth over the pidgey's side.

It screeched and instantly freed itself, wings beating against the ground. Sand swirled from the dirt path and floated upward, near Stantler's face but not high enough.

That was Sand Attack, though not perfected. Bri blinked.

"Stantler! Bite again!"

He lunged in, snapping a hood of the pidgey's talon. It wrenched it free and flew up, higher than the top of the trees.

Bri only had half a second to lament the loss of the pokemon before it fell out of the sky with Quick Attack.

Stantler lurched backward, nearly bending to his knees.

"Astonish! Astonish!"

His head leaked grey mist as he charged toward the pidgey. With a furious expression, he charged in and hit the pokemon.

It had no effect.

"What?" Bri gaped as the pidgey took off and flew away, into the forest, though it seemed slower than before.

Then she slapped her forehead. "Oh, right. Ghost-type move. Normal-type pokemon. I'm an idiot."

"Stantler!" He sounded both confused and angry as he watched the brown and white feathered bird fly away.

She walked forward, though keeping her distance from the 'no touchy' pokemon. "It's not your fault, Stantler. I was an idiot and forgot a basic rule of pokemon."

He snorted and turned away, heading toward the grass on the opposite side of the path.

Bri humphed and walked back to Toto, the remaining flits of adrenaline drifting away. "It's okay, bud. Once we can master Water Gun, you'll be able to battle all you want."

He chirped up at her, appeased.

An idea leaped into her head. "Hey! I've got an idea. What about I carry you, and you work on summoning more water? Instant training!"

Totodile tugged on her leg until she picked him up, happily rearranging himself to have his head poke out of her arms.

Bri smiled but also grunted. He must weigh at least eighteen pounds.

Well, it was good for her to train as well.

She started to walk again, watching as Totodile spat out more and more water every ten steps or so. It still wasn't a lot, maybe a cup at most.

But for his elemental attack, just summoning water was amazing, and he was still working on it even more!

She was so proud of him.

Stantler just peacefully walked next to her, although she could see that there was grey mist swirling and snapping around his antlers. He tried quite hard to make it look like he was just walking, but ghost-type energy surrounded him throughout nearly the entire walk. Practicing Astonish.

She was proud of him, too, even though they did fight.

And he hadn't even asked for food to fight the pidgey.

They rounded the corner and saw a human.

Bri froze.

Male, with a grey shirt and black shorts. Red hat and blond hair.

And tossing a pokeball up and down.

This was her first trainer.

Stantler immediately stopped walking, narrowing his eyes and settling into a battle stance. He didn't seem to like - well, anyone.

Totodile pushed his way out of her hands and landed on the ground with a soft thump, spitting out the last batch of summoned water. It was his largest yet.

Bri and the trainer finally made eye contact. He had large green ones meeting with her dark brown.

"Oh! Hello!" He exclaimed, trotting quickly to come within speaking distance. "You're the first trainer I've found on this Route."

"Me too."

"Sweet. Well, my name's Lukas. What's yours?" His voice was loud, but not too loud, and it was filled with enthusiasm.

"I'm Bri." She paused in the awkward silence that followed before speaking up again. "Do you want to battle?"

He grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

Stantler lowered his head, looking more determined than she had ever seen him. He snorted out a hint of black mist.

"How much are you betting for?" Bri asked, already pulling off her pack to grab her money. It was in a brown wallet her mom had bought her.

"Do you think 25 pokecoins is enough?" He offered, grabbing something from his pocket.

Bri grinned. "That sounds perfect." She dug through her wallet until she found one twenty and one five, setting them on the ground. Lukas put his on top of hers, and then they looked at each other again.

"Can we do a one on one?" She asked after a moment's hesitation.

Lukas shrugged. "That's fine with me. Chikorita, go!"

He lobbed a pokeball in the area in between them, and mist formed the other starter pokemon. A little green dinosaur with a giant leaf on its head.

"Chik chik!" It chirped, bracing itself.

Bri looked behind her. "Come on, Stantler. Let's win this."

Lukas raised an eyebrow. "Why not Totodile? He's your starter, right?"

"Well, I'm still teaching him Water Gun. Stantler is a bit stronger."

The deer pokemon shook his had, snarling.

"Three-two-one - Chikorita! Razor Leaf!" Lukas barked.

Bri yelped. "Jump, Stantler!"

A bunch of bright green leaves popped into existence around the chikorita, swirling lightly. There were maybe eight. They hovered for a second before shooting forward.

Stantler kicked off and leaped upward, but one of the last leaves caught his leg and opened a thin cut that bled sluggishly. He landed hard on it, nearly wincing.

"Bite!" Bri commanded, but Stantler was already moving. His teeth glittered darkly as he closed them on the vainly-dodging chikorita.

It squeaked but thrashed enough that he let go, jumping backward.

Lukas grimaced. "Razor Leaf again. Keep it up!" His pokemon nodded, summoning more and more leaves. They were constantly fired, though with every shot they didn't go as far.

Stantler was hit with at least three more he started to run away from them. "Stantler! Use Leer!" Bri bit her nails even as she spoke.

He ignored her and ran forward, grey mist around his face. A single Razor Leaf cut across the side of his face but he made it in close enough to attack her brutally with the ghost-type move.

The chikorita winced and leaped backward. "Tackle! While you're in close!" Lukas shouted.

Stantler was thrown on his side by the little pokemon's move, but he snapped to his feet and listened to Bri's hurried shout of "Bite!"

His black misted teeth closed around the chikorita's leg and it fell over, knocked out.

Bri gaped. And then exploded.

"Stantler! You did it!" She squealed lunging forward. Grabbing the money off the ground, she held it close to the heavily breathing pokemon. "We're closer now, buddy. Soon we'll buy you it."

"Ler!" He snorted in agreement.

* * *

 **The second chapter in one day, and with two fight scenes, no less! I am on FIRE!**

 **And Stantler not only battled a pidgey, but also won 25 pokecoins against a chikorita! He's doing awesome!**

 **And sorry for those that want me to battle more with Totodile. He's still a bit weak, but once he starts to master Water Gun, Bri will use him a lot more. Maybe even next chapter, who knows…**

 **(I do)**

 **But yeah! Bri's on her second day and still traveling strong! She's fighting trainers and pokemon but still hasn't found her third pokemon she wants to go for. Who could it be?**

 **Maybe you could decide! I love to leave things up to the readers.**

 **Still need her rival and traveling buddy. Leave a review with the OC or send one through PM! I'm pretty accepting.**

 **Anway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	6. Olivine City

Lukas scratched the back of his head, eyes wide. "You won! Good job."

He grinned at her, even as he knelt next to his chikorita and gently pet its head. There was a bleeding cut from Stantler's bite and a couple of bruises, and the pokemon's eyes were closed.

It was breathing fine, though. With a tap of a button, it disappeared in a puff of mist.

Stantler held his weight tenderly on the leg was two bright red cuts, though he tried to play it off as standing normally. There were three sluggishly bleeding cuts on his face, one almost dangerously close to his eye.

Slowly, she reached onto her waist and grabbed his pokeball. She held it out for him to see, not just pulling him back like normal.

He snorted and looked away, but his legs were almost shaking. She pressed the button and called him back. There was a poof of red mist before it disappeared.

Lukas looked up at her, still smiling brightly. He was messing with his pokedex, quickly tapping buttons even as he looked her in the eyes. "Hey, where are you headed? Olivine City, right?"

Bri nodded, snapping the pokeball back on her waist. "Did you just come from there?"

He grinned. "Sure did! I had the fight of my life getting the Mineral Badge. Jasmine has the toughest magnemite I've ever seen, and that's not even mentioning her steelix!"

Bri blinked. "What type is she, again?"

"Steel!" He hopped from one foot to the other, talking quickly. "Steel-types are incredible! They're really only weak to fighting, ground, and fire-types, and have an amazing defense against nearly everything!" He laughed self-deprecatingly. "I had to battle three whole times, and even then it was by the skin of my teeth. Three on two and I've never had a worse fight. And that's only my first badge!"

He patted a pokeball on his waist fondly, glancing down at it. "My only effective pokemon was my houndour here. She's going to help me get the Fog Badge, too."

Then he blushed. "Oh, am I rambling? Ignore that."

Bri laughed. "No, it's fine. I guess I'll see you later, maybe?"

Lukas grinned. "Sure. I'll win next time, just you wait!"

They both giggled and shook hands, slinging bags back onto their back. After a moment, Bri walked forward and Lukas walked behind.

Totodile squeaked and ran to catch up, tilting his head to one side. She sighed and bent to scoop him into her arms, tucking him into the right position.

"We did it, bud. Our first battle!"

She stayed whispering so Lukas wouldn't hear here.

Totodile chirped at her, before turning and spitting out another mouthful of water. He was progressing quickly, summoning more and more water every time. Now it was maybe two cups, just enough to douse a few embers.

But he was getting stronger and stronger.

"I bet," she whispered, stroking his sharp crimson spines, "that you'll finish this move by the end of today, bud. And then you can start battling and winning it all!"

"Toto!" He cheered, gazing up at her.

But then she winced. "But steel-types… We don't have anything to combat that. Either we have to catch another pokemon or we have to teach you guys some new moves, and fast."

She looked down at Stantler's pokeball and frowned. He was enough of a handful right now - she'd never be able to handle another pokemon. She'd just try and teach them some important moves.

And, on the topic of Stantler, get to the Pokecenter in Olivine City as quickly as possible! She had been an idiot and didn't stock up on potions, or even buy one at all. She didn't have enough oran berries to heal all of his wounds, and there wasn't any way that he could battle right now.

But, if the map on her pokedex was correct, she had about another twenty minutes before she made it to the end of Route 38 and made it onto the very short Route 39. If she moved quickly, she might even be at Olivine City by the end of the day.

Determination filled her. She shifted Totodile to a more comfortable position and started walking faster.

Lunch came, and it was that time she popped Totodile back into his pokeball. Her arms were throbbing painfully and were only getting worse. But she had promised to feed him later, and he accepted that and went into his pokeball with no complaint.

She snacked lightly on a pale red apple as she walked, a high protein bar already in her stomach. She had been guzzling water every thirty minutes or so. Apparently, that was healthy.

Now her stomach was sated and she was able to start walking faster again with her pokemon on her waist. She had long since turned onto Route 39 and honestly, there was nothing different.

She had always thought that the routes would be so different, but they honestly looked nearly exactly the same. Nothing like the wild and crazy new Pokemon she had imagined before she started her journey.

To be fair, she had also dreamed of a cyndaquil and obedient pokemon. She was pretty far from both.

But she had at least two more hours of fast walking before she arrived in Olivine City. Two more hours of complete boredom.

Because there were no trainers.

Her mom had described her journey as actually having to choose which trainers to battle. But at this point, Bri would've taken on a 13-year-old if only she didn't lose money.

She sighed and walked on.

Three hours later - that lying pokedex map - Bri looked up at the large gates of Olivine City. They were made of a silver metal with dark blue paint etched in swirling patterns. It was quite pretty.

And there were people inside as well, happy, bustling people who called to each other across the street. She could see pokemon leaping around with them, happy and cheerful.

But she could also see the orange some of the Pokecenter, and that was where she headed first.

"Hi, Nurse Joy!" She chirped as she entered the building.

And boom, there were more trainers in this room than any she had ever seen before. Several milled around on the couches, tossing pokeballs up and down. Others popped in and out of the Pokemart, coming out with bundles of food. There weren't any pokemon free though, which made sense.

The pink-haired lady looked up and smiled as she walked in. She was scanning a pokeball at the moment, face concentrated.

"Hello! How may I help you?" Her voice was sweet.

"Can you check on my pokemon? I think Totodile's just tired but Stantler has a few cuts. Also, can I have a room for a couple of nights?"

She nodded, still smiling. "Can do. Remember, you have to renew your room every night and the only meals we serve are breakfast and dinner."

"Thanks!" Bri held out her two pokeballs and the nurse took them gently, disappearing into the back room.

She reappeared seconds later with a key on a silver chain. "Don't lose this," she warned.

"I won't!" And with that, Bri took off toward the stairs.

She was Room 7B, and it was rather close to the entrance. The door to the room was made of a pretty dark wood with metal markings for the room number. She slid the key into the lock and pushed it open.

A tiny room, but one with a bed and blankets and a bedside table and an actual bathroom. She sighed happily and flopped onto the bed.

It was nearly eight. Nurse Joy couldn't possibly be mad at her for falling asleep and picking up her pokemon tomorrow.

She barely managed to get her pajamas in before she hit the pillow and knew no more.

The next day came quickly, she woke up quickly to the light chirping of her alarm and looked around the room. There was a tiny window in the corner of the tiny room, and she went to it.

Through it, she could see a large grey building with a word stamped largely over it.

Gym.

She grabbed and bag and key and fled from the room downstairs.

Nurse Joy was already there, eyes sleepy but posture straight. "Hello again," she said softly. "Your stantler and totodile are fully healed up. Please give me a second to grab them."

"Sure thing!"

She disappeared into the back room and came out again with two pokeballs.

"Thank you!" Bri smiled before darting out onto the street.

The gym. Steel-type pokemon. Her pokemon didn't have anything to fight them.

So that would mean another training session, and more after that. Teaching her pokemon any fighting, fire, or ground-type moves.

Or she could wing it and see if she could win.

Mind made up, she stalked toward the gym.

People were milling around, mainly trainers with the adults at work. There were more here than on the route, ones with pokemon flying overhead and dutifully trotting beside them.

Bri idly wondered whether she could bring Stantler out and then promptly forgot it. She wasn't quite ready to risk it yet.

The gym was large, much larger than she remembered the Ecruteak Gym being. Its grey walls were flecked with scuffs and scratches, marring the almost shiny surface.

A person was marching around outside of the door, lemonade tight in his hand and shades firmly on over their eyes. He paused and leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

Bri walked up to him, suddenly nervous. She put one hand on Totodile's pokeball.

"Eh? Yeah? What do you want?" The man asked, voice bored. He tilted his edge of his glasses, staring down at her with bright brown eyes.

"I want to challenge the gym!"

He raised an eyebrow, looking over her. "You over ten?"

Bri frowned. "Of course! I'm a trainer!"

He shrugged. "Sure. Head on in. I think Jasmine's just finishing up with someone else right now, so you can watch before you battle." Settling his shades back on the tip of his nose, he leaned back against the wall.

She carefully walked forward and pushed open the door.

The inside of the gym was enormous, with pale tan walls and a white ceiling. There weren't any obstacles in the middle of the room, just a floor made of wooden planks. The walls were lined with bleachers.

There was a woman in the middle, one with pale brown hair that fell down to her waist. She was smiling happily, handing something that glinted grey in the light to a trainer who was crowing happily.

"Congratulations! You have earned the Mineral Badge!" She said, her voice rather gruff but warm.

The trainer smiled brilliantly and darted out of the room, hugging the badge to her chest.

The woman - Bri could only assume she was Jasmine - shook her head, still grinning.

And then her eyes landed on Bri.

"Welcome!" She announced, walking forward until she was off of the middle platform of the gym. She marched toward Bri, pale green eyes sparkling. "Welcome to the Olivine Gym, where you can earn the Mineral Badge! What is your name?"

She nearly stuttered. "My name is Bri Juffer."

"My name is Jasmine, and I'm a steel-type trainer. How many badges do you have right now?"

Bri blinked. "Well, this will be my first badge."

Jasmine raised her eyebrows. "That's wonderful that you're starting with me! How many pokemon do you have?"

"Two."

The gym leader smiled and opened up the gate that led to the middle of the gym.

"Well then. Are you ready for your first gym battle?"

* * *

 **Hey-o everyone! Sorry, there was no chapter yesterday, I was busy. You guys should be happy that I updated on Halloween.**

 **Well then! Sorry. This is a bit of a filler, but now Bri is about to have her first gym battle! Without any effective pokemon or effective moves.**

 **Or any sort of plan at all.**

 **I wonder how this will go.**

 **Anyway! FrostFriday, please submit your OC to me!**

 **And everyone else also, submit yours as well! I still need some random trainers for her to fight and then maybe some more poachers!**

 **I really hope you like this chapter and will like the next one even better!**

 **Anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	7. Steel-type Gym

Bri was nearly shaking as she entered the battle section of the gym.

Her legs were quivering and he breath was heavily stuck in her throat.

Okay. She had about twenty steps to come up with a working plan to defeat this steel-type gym.

Magnemite were steel and electric-type, so there was no way she was throwing Totodile out to fight Jasmine's first pokemon. Stantler didn't have any super effective moves, but his Bite would destroy the other pokemon if he could only get enough hits in. SHe definitely believed in her furious little fighter.

But steelix… wait. They were also ground-type. So Totodile could roast it with his Water Gun!

Five steps left, and now she had a plan to defeat Jasmine. She wouldn't lose. The Mineral Badge would be hers.

Jasmine finished walking to her side of the gym, standing on a slightly raised section made of wooden planks. There was on on the other side, and Bri slowly jumped up onto it. They were maybe three feet off of the ground, about fifteen feet apart.

She palmed Stantler's pokeball.

There was a referee, one in light grey clothing and carrying a clipboard. A kadabra floated lightly by his side, spinning its spoon in between its fingers. "Announcing a new battle between Jasmine, the steel-gym trainer and Bri Juffer, a new trainer. Jasmine is not allowed to substitute pokemon, while Bri is. The battle ends when one pokemon is knocked out. This will be a two on two battle. Trainers, choose your first pokemon!"

Jasmine took a step back, grabbing a pokeball. She hurled it into the gym floor. "Magnemite, go!"

Bri launched her pokeball out. "Go for it!"

In a blaze of glory, a magnet appeared on the gym, floating with two screws on his body. The two magnets on the side of its body flared lightly.

On the opposite side, her giant deer appeared. Stantler tossed his head, roaring out his name like a dragon.

The kadabra's spoon glowed a pale blue as their two pokeballs floated out of the arena back on their respective platforms. Bri grabbed hers out of the air, grateful.

"Do you know the rules of gym battles?" Jasmine asked loudly, nearly shouting it across the gym with her gruff voice.

"No."

Bri bit her lips. Were there even more rules that she didn't know? Would that change the battle?

"Well, that's understandable. The rules are that you're allowed to switch your pokemon out as many times as you like, but once they are knocked out, that's it for them. We're allowed to use as many moves as you can. There's no over hurting any pokemon on the field, and you can surrender at any time if your pokemon are two hurt. If you win, I will give you the Mineral Badge, which will help you control pokemon better."

"That'd be nice." Bri smiled.

Stantler snorted and looked away from her.

"Also, you have the chance to win a TM Iron Tail from me if you win on the first try or prove to me you deserve this. You get the first move. Go now!"

Bri blinked, but then steadied herself. She knew what to do.

"Eye contact! Eye contact!" Bri commanded, and Stantler instantly reacted. He glared at magnemite, and Bri watched with satisfaction as Jasmine's pokemon flashed once as its attack was lowered.

Jasmine nodded. "Nice starting move. But my magnemite can take it! Use Tackle!"

The pokemon lunged through the air toward Stantler, magnets flashing.

"Dodge it!"

Stantler leaped to the side, landing roughly on his legs.

The magnemite roared past him, pulling up half an inch before hitting the ground. It sparked dangerously, its steel body flashing.

"Bite it, Stantler! Get as close as you can and use Bite! Don't stop until I tell you to!" Bri yelped, leaning on the edge of her platform. Her fingernails bit into her palm, turning her hands white.

Stantler's mouth dripped black mist nearly instantly, swirling it around his mouth. Jasmine raised her eyebrows, looking more admiringly at Stantler. "That's pretty impressive. Normally beginner pokemon don't have the power to summon elemental moves so quickly."

But in the time she was talking, Stantler had lunged forward and jumped into the air, closing his teeth around one of magnemite magnets.

There was a thundering blast of electricity and the magnemite took off toward the ceiling, dragging Stantler for a few feet before he fell back down to earth.

Jasmine winced. "Magnemite! Thunder Shock!

The magnemite flared out its magnets, sparks flying in between each end. With a clap of thunder, lightning crackled in the sky.

Bri blinked, barely managing to gasp out "Stantler!" before the lightning connected with her pokemon.

There was the crackle of burning fur before the smoke cleared and she could see Stantler standing there with his pelt blackened and standing on end. One of his antlers were charred and he was nearly swaying, though he righted himself quickly.

Jasmine grinned. "You're going to need faster reflexes if you want to beat me! Magnemite, use Thunder Shock again!"

But a flicker of something sprouted in her mind. "Stantler! Just do it! Don't fight me on this! Use Me First!"

There was probably a glare on his face, but Stantler sucked in a deep breath. His eyes snapped open.

With a crash, the lightning that was gathering around the magnemite disappeared like a light being turned off. At the same time, Stantler's body crackled dangerously.

The lightning bolt went up instead of down like normal, spearing the magnemite on one end and crashing it into the ground.

"Use Bite!"

Stantler leaped forward just as the magnemite pulled itself up, closing his teeth around on the same magnet he had bit before.

A bit of the magnet snapped off.

Jasmine blinked in shock as Stantler spat it out, looking more excited than ever. He howled his name up to the ceiling.

"Alright, no holding back anymore," she nearly growled. "Magnemite! Use Magnet Bomb!"

The magnemite shook itself furiously, tiny blobs of steel flying away from its body. They hovered around him before shooting forward.

There was no way Stantler could get away in time, being as close as he was for Bite. Every single steel ball hit dead on in the chest.

Stantler keened low and nearly toppled over, legs shaking. There was a gash deep on his chest, right below his neck. Several drops of blood slithered onto the floor.

Jasmine winced as she looked at his heavily panting form. "Let's finish this up. Magnemite! Thunder Shock!"

"Bite! Use Bite one last time, buddy!" Bri screamed, leaning so far over she nearly fell into the gym battle floor. "Come on!"

Stantler looked up at the sparking magnemite with misted teeth and used his most beloved move one last time.

There was a hiss like steam escaping of pain, and the magnemite collapsed on the ground.

"Stantler! Come back!" She immediately pressed the button, releasing him back into a safer place. He disappeared in the puff of smoke next to the magnemite, which was also recalled back.

Jasmine smiled softly. "That was a good idea. I don't think he could have handled any more hits. You're a good trainer."

Bri blushed and grabbed her next pokeball. Totodile would have to just keep using Water Gun and dodging. She didn't want him anywhere near that steelix.

"Go, magneton!" Jasmine barked, and threw her pokeball.

Bri stilled. "Wait-"

A collection of three magnemites appeared on the field, all lumped together with one on top and two on the bottom. One clattered with electricity, hissing softly.

Bri yelped. "Wait! I thought you had a steelix!"

Jasmine nodded, expression warm and unconcerned. "Well, this is your first badge with only two pokemon. My steelix is a bit too powerful to make this a fair fight."

She felt a bit of her life flash before her eyes. Totodile had to fight a magneton? There wasn't any way she was calling out Stantler in his condition.

Oh man, she hoped he was fast enough to dodge any electricity moves. She would train him to run faster for _hours_ if she needed to.

"Go! Totodile!" It wasn't so much of a shout than a squeak.

Jasmine instantly winced. "Ah, _that_ was why you wanted my steelix…"

Totodile appeared on the field, looking around slowly. He glanced up at the magneton, eyes widening.

The gym leader inclined her head. "First move, as always, goes to you."

Bri bit the tip of her finger, thinking hard. "Okay! Totodile, I want you to use Leer, and then run. Don't ever stop running!"

He scowled at the pokemon, snarling and snapping his jaws. The magneton flinched back, a flash erupting over its entire body.

"Now run!"

Totodile took off away from the magneton, little arms pumping by his sides.

"Use Thunder Shock! Keep firing until you hit it!"

The magneton tilted forward - Bri guessed that was kind of a nod - and start to spark dangerously, lighting up the air around it. Bri felt the hair on the back of her head stand up.

But try as he might, Totodile was not fast, and the first Thunder Shock that was launched caught him right in the back.

He howled and fell forward, thumping heavily on the ground. The scales on his back were fired and black.

"Totodile!"

The magneton started to charge up again, thunder crackling.

Bri grabbed his pokeball and instantly recalled him back. "I surrender! I surrender! It's not worth it."

Jasmine blinked once but nodded, recalling her sparking pokemon. "That was a good choice."

The referee barked out "And the winner is Jasmine, steel-type gym trainer!"

Bri sighed, tightly gripping her two pokeballs. She nearly growled, clicking them gently onto her waist.

And then Jasmine was by her side, a hand lightly resting on her shoulder.

"Hey. Don't feel bad. This was your first gym battle and you probably haven't done many regular battles, have you?"

She pushed on. "You had not too strong pokemon, and the only advantage you had was that your totodile had a slight resistance to steel-types. Your pokemon don't know that many moves, especially not ones that are very effective. So here's what you should do."

"Both of your pokemon can learn fighting-type moves, though only one each. I've got a friend down by Olivine Port that has a couple of fighting-type pokemon, and he'll agree to help if you tell him I sent you. After your pokemon have learned them, then come back and fight me, okay?"

Bri nodded. "What's his name?"

"Lin. People there can tell you where he is."

"Thank you!" She grinned, and Jasmine smiled back at her.

"I'm always here to help, okay? That's my job. So maybe just pop back here and we can have a few mock battles or I can help you perfect certain moves. It'd be nice to do something other than just battle for a badge every now and then."

Bri blinked. "Really? I can just come over and you could help me?"

Jasmine nodded. "Just make sure I'm not battling during that time, okay? I'm available normally around 8 o'clock in the morning to 8 at night."

Bri nodded. She had a plan. Learn fighting-type moves and train with a gym leader. She could win the Mineral Badge.

* * *

 **Hey guys! The first gym fight and she LOST! Oh no!**

 **But Bri now has someone who will help her pokemon get a new move and an offer to train with the gym leader! I've never seen that before, and that should be interesting. Jasmine seems pretty nice and it honestly seems very boring to be a gym leader. So! Do you guys think that Bri should get Iron Tail?**

 **But tell me guys.**

 **I'm leaving this up to you.**

 **What should her next pokemon be?**

 **Please tell me in the reviews!**

 **Should it be a fire-type? Water-type? Ground-type?**

 **Please tell me!**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter!**

 **Anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	8. Water Play

Bri booked it to the Pokecenter as fast as she could. Her pokeballs were attached tightly to her waist, unmoving. She wasn't going to lose her pokemon, especially when Stantler and Totodile were so hurt.

Oh, why was she an idiot? Challenging a steel-type gym with no planning at all. She had seriously hurt her pokemon and didn't get anything to show for it.

Except for a training session with someone named Lin and the gym leader Jasmine.

Okay, that was pretty cool. She was incredibly excited.

There was also the chance to win a TM - Iron Tail - if she proved herself to Jasmine. Yeah, she couldn't use it on either Stantler or Totodile, but that was okay. She accepted it.

The orange dome covering of the Pokecenter dawned in front of her and she ran inside, still pumping with adrenaline from the battle.

"Hello, Nurse Joy! I've got Totodile and Stantler here! They're both pretty injured but none of them are passed out."

The pink haired lady smiled gently and took the offered pokeballs, holding them up to her eyes to check for scratches or something. Then she popped them Into a machine by the counter and waited a few seconds.

There was a 'ding' and then she quieted her eyebrows. "Well, I'm going to have to keep your stantler overnight at least, but your totodile should be fine in about two-three hours."

Bri scowled, but chirped out a "Thank you!" and darted off. What would she do for the next couple of hours? There was no point in going to see Lin without her pokemon.

She saw another trainer head to the pokemart and darted after them.

It was rather small and full of shelves stacked high with foods, baits, pokeballs, nets, and nearly everything pokemon related. But her eyes were drawn to the glass container in the back stacked high with circular disks about as thick as her finger, covered with intricate markings.

The TMs.

There were a few she recognized and many she didn't. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the one engraved with the words Shadow Ball. The price tag said exactly how much she had predicted. Stantler would soon have another amazing attack he could cream others with. She could not wait.

But then her eyes continued to scan the rows. There was Iron Tail, the one at the gym. That was something else she could get, but she wasn't quite sure who she could use it on.

But that was what more Pokemon were for, and she would find one eventually.

She eventually had to peep herself away and walk more around the room. There wasn't much that caught her eye. She had four more pokeballs for her team, and she wasn't all that keen on catching more than six. It was enough of a handle to manage Stantler - she'd never be able to do it with interchanging Pokemon that numbered over six!

So six - or less - it was. Totodile, Stantler, and more she didn't have yet.

She glanced at her watch glimmering sweetly on her wrist. 15 minutes out of her three hours.

Groaning, she turned on her pokedex and collapsed on one of the available couches and slumping down. She turned on Flappy Pidgey and resigned herself to boredom.

She was about ready to throw her pokedex across the room when Nurse Joy started to anounce across the room. "Healed totodile here!"

Bri immediately stood up and ran to her, quickly grabbing the proffered pokeball. "Is everything okay with him?"

Nurse Joy frowned slightly. "Well, yes. His back was very hurt but we were able to regrow the scales and take off the old damaged ones. The scales on his back are still a little weak, but they should finish hardening in around an hour."

Bri brightened. "Thank you! I'll come back in the morning for Stantler, is that alright?"

She nodded, though one eyebrow was raised. "He has a very large wound on his chest and a very charred antler that is taking me a very long time to heal up. Next time be a little safer, okay?"

Her cheeks burned bright and angry. "Of course. I won't do that again."

Nurse Joy nodded. "Good."

There was a silence before Bri took off out the door and into the world beyond.

Olivine City was bright and cheerful, with coast everywhere and more sand than soil. She could see more water-type pokemon than she had ever seen before. But more importantly, she could see the ocean, and that was where she was going now.

It was true. She could train Totodile even more, but right now, she wanted to do something very different.

All they had been doing was training, and that wasn't good enough for her loyal starter. If all he ever did was train, train, train, and battle, there would be nothing that kept him the happy and kind of competitive pokemon she knew and loved.

So she ran to the beach. There were two other people there, but she didn't pay them any mind. She darted toward the bathroom, sliding her backpack off. There was a swimsuit she had brought, and now she was glad for it. Changing quickly, she slid off her shoes and took off toward the sand.

There was a tree she placed her stuff underneath before gently lobbing Totodile's pokeball on the ground.

He appeared, blinking several times. The scales on his back were brighter than the others around it, but not that much. She worried over him for a few seconds, circling around his still form.

She set his pokeball on top of her stuff before carefully picking him up. He chirped at her, confused.

At least until she threw him into the water.

He squeaked and immediately popped back up, swimming back over to her cackling form.

Totodile sucked in a mouthful of water and spat it at her. In about two seconds, she was soaked.

"Totodile!" She laughed, jumping into the water with him. "I'll get you back for that!"

And they played, and played, and played.

Though Bri will admit she got a lot more wet than Totodile did, but that made sense. He was a water-type pokemon.

They splashed around until the sun started to slip below the horizon. And then she packed them up, sliding back into her regular clothes and toweling her hair dry. It was only to the bottom of her ears, so it didn't take very long at all.

Totodile just shook himself like a dog and was nearly completely dry. "Show-off," she muttered.

He chirped up at her.

They walked back to the Pokecenter, her stomach rumbling slightly. The free dinner was not something she was going to pass up on, especially with the Route 30 coming up.

She knew that Route 30 and 31 together took about a week to travel fully, and even they were some of the shorter routes in Johto. Route 38 and 39 were the absolute shortest, taking two days at the minimum.

But a week full of her 'high-protein bars' was enough to make her shudder. Apparently, berries were non-poisonous to humans, but they didn't have any effects. She would be eating as many of those as she could find!

But the Pokecenter dawned in front of her, and she walked inside quickly. Nurse Joy raised a hand in greeting before going back to help a bright-eyed boy.

But all of the trainers in the room were funneling toward a door in the back, and she followed them.

The dinner - spaghetti and garlic bread - was absolutely delicious and warm. She had fallen in bed warm and satisfied.

And then the next day dawned, and she ran downstairs as fast as she could to Nurse Joy. The woman, still sleepy and rubbing her eyes, gently handed over a pokeball. "Here's your stantler. His chest should still be a bit sore but he'll be okay."

Bri grabbed it, thanked her, and ran back into the food room for some oatmeal drowned in cinnamon. It was delicious.

And then she was marching through Olivine City, looking for a sign that pointed to Olivine Port. She would be training with Lin today, teaching her pokemon how to defeat steel-types. And then she would win the Mineral Badge and would be really strong and Stantler would finally start respecting her-

She ran headfirst into a sign.

Stumbling back, she saw that it pointed to Olivine Port. There was a snicker from behind her but when she turned, no one met her eyes.

Growling, she stomped off toward the port.

The sea air was wonderful and light on her skin, and she loved the smell of it. It danced around her, carried on by the song of pidgeys and spearows. She wouldn't mind one of those flying-types, actually the exact opposite. They were wonderful and sang great songs and could fly her over ridiculously long routes.

She resolved to catch one later.

But then there was a person standing on the edge of the pier. He had black hair and an overly tanned body, and she tried to force herself to look strong as she walked up to him.

"Excuse me?"

He turned.

"Do you know where I could find Lin?" She tightly grabbed onto her pokeballs, though she stared up at him without shaking.

"Eh? Lin? You'll find him at the end of the dock. He might be at the Olivine Cafe if he's not there."

"Thank you!" She squeaked, speeding off. The man chuckled and turned back to stare over the water.

She did indeed find him at the edge of the dock. He was a rather short man, but he was covered in lean muscle and was, for apparently no reason, shirtless.

Bri blushed heavily and nearly turned away, but kept looking.

Her mouth dropped open.

On this shoulder, there was a leather pad that extended nearly to his elbow. And perched on that was an enormous bird.

It had a crest that extended backward, strong and fierce. Its claws looked to be about the same size as her entire head.

The pidgeot stared at her with a keen eye as she approached, the wind ruffling its feathers.

"Um, hello? Are you Lin?" She asked, not able to pull her eyes from the majestic bird.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" His voice was soft, not nearly as gruff as she would have imagined. He looked down at her with brilliant blue eyes.

"Jasmine sent me to learn some fighting-type moves from you."

He laughed happily, leaning down to be on eye level with her admittedly short form. "Well, did she? Ready to learn?"

She swallowed slowly.

* * *

 **Meh. I'm not that happy with this chapter. It's full of fillers and boringness.**

 **But I already rewrote it three times and I'm just sticking to it, okay?**

 **But yeah. Bri is about to learn things and I think I want to get a bit more technical with pokemon. Straying more away from the games and a bit more into some things I've thought about. So one.**

 **Pokemon can learn moves out of order. I'm kind of ignoring the whole 'level' thing, but higher moves are more difficult to learn. I'm also trying to make evolution more of a big deal. Like pokemon change before they evolve, or something.**

 **And also! On her next pokemon! She will catch it a little before she battles the gym the next time - I think, things could always change - and I think it might be a bit surprising. Who says that Bri needs to catch a super effective pokemon?Certainly not me!**

 **But yeah. Just wait for the next couple of chapters ad she should get it. I'm still not sure whether I want her to get all six pokemon, because I'm actually pretty happy with her getting 4-5. She's not that serious of a trainer, just wanting to have a bunch of pokemon to live and be happy with.**

 **But anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	9. A New Pokemon

Bri quickly released her pokemon in a small area on land. The floor was made of stone and it had a three-foot tall barrier going all the wall around.

Stantler snorted out his name and immediately locked eyes with Lin's pidgeot, glaring at him. The bird barely seemed to care about his presence, trimming his feathers with his beak.

Lin gently shook his arm and his pidgeot took off, flying a few feet away before landing on the wooden barrier. It creaked slightly but held.

Totodile squeaked as Lin knelt beside him, eyebrows raised.

"Look at the base of his tail. See that little red nub? That's another spine that's starting to grow. Your totodile will evolve soon, but you'll know he's getting close when he really starts to swell in size. He'll grow a lot more sharp teeth and his stomach with start to develop patterns. Remember, if you can, take your pokemon to a Pokecenter right before or after they evolve. Helps to stop any irregularities from happening."

Bri gaped. "You really know a lot about evolution."

He laughed. "Kid, I spent about four years studying under Professor Elm. You should be surprised if I didn't know my stuff. So what do you want me to teach them?"

She hurriedly brought up her pokedex, scanning through it as fast as she could. "Well, for Stantler, I'd like him to learn Jump Kick. And then Totodile needs Superpower. Because they're effective against steel-types and I really want my first badge."

Lin nodded. "First, I know that. Okay, I can do that. They'll probably have the basics by the time I'm done and you can teach the rest. Remember, you're only getting this for free because it is your first time, and Jasmine told you."

Bri tiled her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"Well, normally, this is my job. I teach moves to people's pokemon, but trainers that Jasmine sends to me for their first couple a' moves get it free."

Breathing out a sigh of relief, she suddenly paused. "Wait. So you could teach my pokemon any move?"

"Within reason, of course. Only moves they can actually learn. But yeah. At a 100 a move, I teach pokemon."

He stood up, stretching mightily. His muscles rippled, leather armband flashing. "Okay, you're going to have to scram for about two days while I teach them."

Bri lurched backward. "What?"

"I'll feed them and take of them and everything, but I don't have other people here while I teach. It messes everything up. I'll meet you here in two days at noon, is that okay?"

"Sure," she said rather weakly. He was going to take her pokemon. "What do I do in that time?"

He shrugged. "Train your other pokemon."

She blinked. "Those are my only pokemon."

Lin looked at her with a very surprised expression. "Well then, spend this time catching some more! You're not going to make it very far with only two pokemon."

"I don't want anymore pokemon right now." She tilted her head to one side.

He sighed. "Listen, kid. It's just a smart idea. Two pokemon is a good idea if they have effective moves against steel-types, but its just better if you have a three on two fight. I know Jasmine will still only fight you with two pokemon because it's your badge. Even if you have a weak third pokemon, it's still a good idea."

"But then how do I weaken them?"

He shrugged. "Find a way. Recall your pokemon and give me their pokeballs, please."

She did so rather numbly, mind already whirling. There was Bait in the Pokecenter that she could use. It would be nice to have another pokemon now that Stantler was finally warming up to her. A little.

Lin neatly plucked them from her hands, gently dropping them in a pouch on his waist. "Okay then. I'll see you in two days. Have fun!"

And then there was a low cry from behind him and his pidgeot took off from the barrier, wings spread at least 10 feet apart. Lin jogged off after it, moving quickly.

Then they were both gone and she didn't have any pokemon.

But it was time to get a new one.

It took her about five minutes to dart through the town until she reached the Pokecenter, running inside. The pokemart was nearly always open, and there were only around two ways to capture pokemon with other pokemon to weaken it first. Either weaken it with rocks - which she would probably have to do - or use Bait to attract the pokemon and hit them while they were distracted - which she would also probably have to do.

Bait cost 5 pokecoins each, and she bought three. 15 pokecoins was a lot to part with for something like this, but another pokemon would win her more battles and then she would get more money.

She walked carefully through the town until she reached the entrance of Olivine City. Route 39 was still covered in enormous trees that towered over everything with bushes coating the ground.

What did she want to catch?

Bri pulled out her pokedex and typed in Route 39 and quickly read through the list. She frowned.

It was mainly normal, flying, and bug-type pokemon on this route, and that wasn't exactly what she wanted. But she would have to deal with it.

There wasn't any way she could go on Route 40 without having the move Surf or a fishing rod, and she had neither. So Route 39 would have to do.

But what did she want?

Something rustled in the woods.

She threw herself into the bush, Bait in her hand and a pokeball in her other. She could see something on the other side of the path, something with brown fur and large ears on the top of its head. It was maybe only a foot tall high.

It was another minute of staying as still as possible before she recognized what it was.

A meowth, one that was hunting through a bush for a bare hint of red she could see, probably a berry of some sort.

All she had to do was manage to throw her Bait so that the meowth could see it but not run away and also eat it so that she could catch it. And she didn't have that much Bait so she had to do it perfectly.

Slowly, she raised her hand and gently lobbed the small orb full of mashed berries.

It bounced once and landed only three feet away from the meowth.

She held her breath.

The pokemon immediately jumped upward, fur fluffing out and tail sticking straight out. Its ears snapped up and its whiskers straightened.

It abandoned the berry in the bush and turned around, leaning low to the ground. There was a low wind that ruffled its fur as it walked forward, nose twitching.

Bri crouched lower, raising her pokeball in her hand.

Her arm brushed against a branch, crackling leaves. Instantly she stopped moving and didn't even breathe, but the damage was done.

The meowth instantly straightened, staring in her direction. Its nose twitched furiously, golden-brown eyes narrowing. And then it ran off.

Bri cursed and moved to stand up.

A pidgey flapped down from the sky. It shook itself, feathers ruffling.

And then it hopped to the Bait and started eating.

Bri lunged out of the underbrush and hurled a stone.

It smacked against the pidgey's wing and knocked it to the ground. There was a screamed shriek as the pidgey fluttered on the ground, wings flapping furiously and kicking up dust.

She threw her pokeball, its red and white surface spinning in the air.

It smacked onto the downed pidgey and immediately turned it into a puff of red mist. Landing hard on the ground, it started to twitch.

Bri ran forward just in time to see the pidgey explode out of the pokeball. It started to fly into the air, cawing its name furiously. She jumped into the air and managed to catch one of its talons.

It shrieked, flapping its wings. Sand fluttered up from the ground, slapping against Bri's face. But the pidgey wasn't strong enough to fly away with both of them, and they both fell to the ground. Bri tried to pin it to the ground, desperately scrabbling around for the pokeball.

Her finger landed on the very edge and she managed to pull it into her hand. She grabbed it just as the pidgey launched a Peck attack at her arm.

Its beak bit cleanly through her arm and drew blood. She squeaked and pressed the pokeball onto the pidgey.

It started to tremble against the ground before slowing down.

And then, with a fateful click, the pokeball stopped moving and stayed still.

Bri sighed and fell on her side, pressing one hand to her arm. The blood was slowing down but it still hurt.

But she had done it. She had captured a pokemon with no other pokemon with her and gotten her third pokemon.

A pidgey - one that would eventually evolve into another amazing pidgeot like Lin's.

And she had another day to train him up for a gym battle.

She would do this.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Second chapter in one day! I'm quite impressed with this chapter, though it is a bit short. Actually, much shorter than I'm used to. But I'm okay with it for right now.**

 **But now Bri has her third pokemon! I bet you didn't see this coming. Pidgeys aren't super effective against steel types and they have a weakness of electric types.**

 **But Stantler and Totodile are learning fighting-type moves and will be gone for a couple of days!**

 **Also, let me clarify: Lin is not canon or anything like that. I'm trying to avoid going down the same path as either the anime or the games. Just going on my own little adventure.**

 **What do you like I should do for the next chapter? The gym battle? More training? Bri-pidgey bonding? Maybe another side plot?**

 **You'll never know until I post!**

 **Also, I'm super sick, so that's why I'm able to do two chapters today. Don't expect that regularly. Or even one chapter a day regularly. I'm going on a spree this week.**

 **Also, I think I might take out the OCs being submitted thing. I've gotten a few really good ones, but I seriously have no idea how to put them in the story. Tell me if you have any ideas, okay?**

 **Anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


	10. Julie Pokemon

Her arm started to sting immediately. She squeaked against and pressed a hand to the clean cut through it. The pidgey had to be strong!

Or she was just really weak. She ignored that for now.

But its pokeball was clipped to her waist, and she had caught her third pokemon. If only it fought her half as much as Stantler did, she would have it fully trained by tomorrow, and everything would be perfect.

Pushing her shoulders back and fluffing the edges of her hair, she started to march toward the Pokecenter of the town.

Her arms were scratched and she was still bleeding. Twigs stood up from her hair and a few leaves were littered over her legs and shoes. The grin on her face was more than just happy.

People awkwardly shuffled away from her path. She ignored them, trekking happily back toward the Pokecenter. Oh, she couldn't wait for tomorrow, where she could show the pidgey to Tododile! Maybe not Stantler.

Probably not Stantler. She decided to think about that tomorrow.

But then she was at the door and pushing it open, her adrenaline fading away. Her breath was a bit hard in her throat, and her arm was hurting more than it had been a few seconds ago. There was a little streak of blood down her arm, curling around her wrist. She didn't mind the sight of blood, though it was a bit unnerving.

There weren't any trainers in the room, just empty and quiet. Almost calm.

Nurse Joy looked up, a gentle smile on her face. Then her eyes widened. "Oh! What happened to you?"

Bri marched happily toward her, popping her pokeball off of her waist and holding it up. "I caught a new pokemon!"

There wasn't much enthusiasm in the nurse's expression. "Yes yes, very good. Are you injured? Is that blood?"

"Maybe a little. I got hit with a Peck attack but other than that, I'm-"

Nurse Joy had her arm and was pulling her behind the counter before she could blink. The next second she was sitting on a table with cloth behind wrapped around her arm. There were twigs being plucked from her hair and something stinging dabbed onto her scratches. Bri blinked.

And then she was shoved back into the common, the pidgey's pokeball pulled from her hand. "I'll have it back in a jiffy!"

Bri blinked again. That was fast.

Then she turned around and walked out of the Pokecenter. Time to explore Olivine City for a few hours before she could start training. Without spending any money. Or running into any over-zealous trainers.

She idly wondered whether she could buy a disguise.

But the majority of people wandering around were adults, adults that didn't battle tiny kids or even pay them any mind. Pokemon swarmed around some of them, large and powerful. Mainly bird pokemon fluttered overhead, as to not run on the ground and disturb other people. Skarmorys, fearows, and even one enormous pidgeot-

Bri froze.

The pidgeot was enormous, with a beak that gleamed like a sword. Its wings were as long a person laying down as it lazily glided over the crowd. But its eyes were glued on a woman, a woman wearing light grey clothing and walking fast. A hoodie and sweatpants.

She started to move faster through the square.

Where was the poacher going? All of her buddies had been captured by Officer Jenny, and she had failed to get the herd of stantler.

And she probably would recognize Bri if she went anywhere near her. Only bad things could come from that.

But where was the poacher going?

She could see more of her now, though. Red hair cut short around her ears, one that bounced as she walked. Tall, even without any sort of heels - she towered over Bri and most others around. She didn't have any sort of pokebelt with her, but her hand was tucked into a pocket on her sweatpants. A bag was snug by her side, rather large.

All she was doing was seemingly enjoying her day, just walking around peacefully. She checked her phone often and stopped to talk happily to people. This must be where she was from.

Though she kept checking her watch, and her eyes flicked toward the center quite often.

Bri moved backward around twenty feet, found a bench, and sat down. She could watch the woman without moving a muscle.

The pidgeot still flapped overhead, but it didn't seem so innocent now. Its eyes were still focused on the woman but now its talons were flexing and unflexing, and it was flying a bit closer to the ground. People had stopped and pointed to it, confused.

Pausing, she narrowed her eyes.

The pigeot swooped from the sky and grabbed the woman.

She shrieked, but the talons were around her waist and were carrying her high into the sky.

Shrieks echoed everywhere.

People reacted instantly, and several fearow launched high into the air. The pidgeot twirled its wings powerfully, releasing winds that were stained a brilliant blue. Hurricane.

The fearows were blasted back.

Coming to the conclusion that the woman was most definitely _not the poacher_ , Bri started running. People were throwing out more and more pokemon, trying to reach the woman held by the pidgeot.

"That's Mr. Pokemon's daughter!" Someone yelled, and Bri jerked. He wasn't that famous, but he was getting there, and he worked very closely with Professor Elm.

She shot a desperate glance toward the Pokecenter. Her pidgey could help-

The woman - Julie Pokemon - shrieked again.

Bri took off.

The pidgeot was slowly moving toward the forest, wings still beating out a steady Hurricane. Nothing could get even close. It was disappearing higher and higher into the sky, but she could see its primaries pointed at the trees. That was where it was going.

Ignoring every lesson she had ever been taught, she plunged right into the leaves as soon as she reached them. The pidgeot cawed powerfully once more before plunging.

It reached the trees around a hundred yards in front of her. She kept running.

By the time she reached an area where she could hear voices, the pidgeot had long since landed. She hung by the trees to stare.

Julie Pokemon was curled on the ground, body wrapped around the bag. Blood sluggishly dripped from a cut above her eyebrow and a woman stood above her, wearing dark grey clothing. The same as the woman below her.

The woman she was kicking.

Her shoes were tipped with something sharp, for Julie shrieked with each kick that hit her side. Something red dripped to the ground. Bri felt her stomach roil desperately in her chest.

Julie curled tighter within herself, the bag nearly hidden. Something cracked in her side.

The poacher - with a thick mane of blonde hair and piercing green eyes - shouted in a voice dripping with anger and desperation. "Give it up!"

She spat out a mouthful of blood. "Never."

Frown deepening, she turned to her pokemon. "Use Hurricane!"

The pidgeot shrieked once, head cocked to the side. Bri stilled, but it wasn't looking at her - sounds of many footsteps lunging through the woods echoed all around.

The poacher stiffened, eyes widening.

"Grab her," she barked. The pidgeot stepped forward, talons sinking into the dirt. The poacher started running. Julie tried to flinch away.

Bri exploded out of the bushes, grabbing at Julie's arms and pulling. The pidgeot shrieked right as it started to take off, looking down. But Bri yanked one more and Julie angled herself and there was blood smearing over the talons and she slipped free.

Sounds echoed around them once again. The pidgeot took off into the air. The woman was already gone. The forest was far from quiet.

Julie, her dark red hair splayed behind her, collapsed fully on the ground, still cradling the bag. Blood was thick and heavy on her sides, and her face was half scarlet. Her eyes were closed. Cuts littered her body.

Bri was right in the middle of a heart attack when people broke through the barrier of trees. Maybe three people, Officer Jenny and two others. Both male.

Officer Jenny instantly took off toward Julie, hand snapping toward her mouth. "Joy! Get someone out here fast!"

"Move!" She barked to Bri, who numbly tried to set down the woman. Julie clung to her arms, the bag slipping over her shoulders.

Officer Jenny gently pulled her away, but the bag was left in Bri's arms. She still stumbled back, arms tight around the bag. The poacher had almost killed someone just to get whatever was in it.

The flap fell open, exposing a clean white surface dotted with strange red and blue markings. An egg.

"Everyone! Help me!" Officer Jenny had ripped pieces of cloth away from her uniform and was pressing them to Julie's face and side. "Get more cloth!"

Bri fell forward and found a thick cut on Julie's leg. She started to pull parts on her shorts until a sizable chunk tore off. She pressed it to the blood.

 _Oh god. What was she doing here-_

Nurse Joy appeared behind everyone, a stretcher pushed by a chansey. Her blue eyes were wide but she moved insanely fast, jumping forward and leaning down. Officer Jenny knelt lowered and slipped her arms underneath the woman, Nurse Joy doing the same on the other side. They were strong enough to pick up Julie and lay her on the stretcher, pieces of red-soaked cloth fluttering away.

The stretcher thumped on the ground, sticks breaking. Chansey immediately turned around and started to push it out of the forest.

Bri was still having a hard time breathing when Officer Jenny ran to her. "What is that?"

"A- a bag. She had it-"

"Come with me."

And then she was stumbling through the woods, arms wrapped around the bag.

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **It's been a while. Sorry about that.**

 **But yeah, this chapter is certainly going a different direction! Actual realistic things of what could happen in the world!**

 **Also, do you think that Bri should get the egg? And what should be in it?**

 **And yes, I know it's supposed to be togepi, but hey, this is fanfiction! And anyway, why would the poacher want the egg so badly?**

 **Also, who knew that Mr. Pokemon had a daughter? Not me until I wrote this chapter!**

 **But yeah! I hope you liked this chapter! She should be a bit more shellshocked and hurt after this, and I don't just plan to make Bri just skip happily through this world.**

 **Yes, I know that this chapter is really, really short. But hey, I am human, okay? Not some pokemon trainer. I have to sleep and go to school and sleep and breathe and eat and perform and stuff like that! Also my like twenty other stories. I GOT STUFF ON MY PLATE, K?**

 **But yes, you should get chapters for a while. IDK how many, but maybe one in like a week. For Christmas. So for now, enjoy what you get!**

 **Also, sorry for no pidgey/Bri bonding. That should come soon.**

 **Yeah! Send pokemons for the egg and whether she should get it or not!**

 **Anyway! Please read and review!**

 **Frost OUT!**


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